The author explores the utility of educational games in elementary and secondary social studies classes. Separate sections of the paper discuss types of games, similarities among formal games and social studies topics, educational game design, and examples, advantages, and limitations of educational games. Game playing in society is described as…

Educational games present the complex realities of simultaneous interactive processes more accurately and effectively than serial processes such as lecturing and reading. Objectives of educational gaming are to motivate students by presenting relevant and realistic problems and to induce more efficient and active understanding of information.…